The laws of thermodynamics state that heat naturally flows from hotter systems or regions to colder systems or regions until a state of thermal equilibrium is reached. This simple principle underpins ...

An atom in a cavity between two mirrors (left) acts as a heat engine in a driven-dissipative quantum system in which energy is continuously added and lost to the environment. The fluctuations in the ...

A tiny machine made from just an atom and particles of light may sound impossibly simple, but it raises a surprisingly difficult question: what counts as heat, and what energy can still do useful work ...

A study published in Physical Review Letters (PRL) details a "Gambling Carnot Engine" that researchers report can attain 100% efficiency while also improving power generation. The researchers present ...

A collaboration of researchers across international borders observed an anomalous thermal effect that allows quantum systems to absorb heat from cold thermal reservoirs. The team then leveraged this ...

A tiny superconducting engine has successfully converted heat near absolute zero into useful work, demonstrating the first cyclic quantum heat engine of its kind. Future versions could operate ...